A RETROSPECTIVE planning application has been submitted to Bradford Council to retain a wedding venue behind a Bradford pub.

Bradford Council recently issued an enforcement notice against the owners of the 6 Acres pub in Drighlington, ordering its owners to remove two large marquees that were installed behind the pub’s car park.

The pub, on Westgate Hill Street, overlooks the Adwalton Moor historic battlefield - the site of a key Civil War battle, and Council officers said the marquees “caused significant harm” to the battlefield site.

The marquees are used for weddings and other functions, but the Council said there was no planning permission for the structures, or the use of the site for weddings.

Now the owners of the pub, L&C Leisure, have submitted a retrospective planning application to the Council in a bid to keep the marquees.

The application says the owners did not realise they needed planning permission for the marquees, and that the pub could shut down if they were forced to remove them.

Plans dispute over marquees on battlefield at The 6 Acres pub

After issuing the enforcement notice the Council said: “Following complaints received in this office, a site visit revealed that a substantial area of field adjacent the above public house car park, had been changed to a entertainment, wedding and events venue associated to the public house use.

“The land is located in the greenbelt and within a site of a historic battlefield.”

The company responded by saying it “did not accept” that the use of the site as a function venue was unauthorised, and were “confident” of its legality.

The application, submitted this week, is for the construction of marquee for use as party/wedding venue. It says: “Due to the small rooms and having to diversify to make ends meet it was necessary to provide a function suite for weddings/parties.

“Without these marquees providing the function suites the business would not be profitable.

“We have many bookings for coming weeks and into the summer months.

“My client was unaware that the marquees required planning permission as they are not permanent structures.

“”My client stresses that the public house on its own is not a viable business and may well have to close down causing the loss of many jobs and will also cause the public house to go into disrepair.

“My client has spent much of his own money repairing and bringing back the property to its current well maintained state.

“There is obviously a need for the marquees as can be seen with the many bookings.

“The venue has been operating for several months without any disruption to the local area and with no complaints.”

A decision on the application is expected in April.